Appricity's agents can hold conversations on WhatsApp: answering people who message your number, and opening conversations with new leads. There are two ways to connect a number, and everything above the connection (your agents, rules, hand-overs and activity record) works the same for both.
What are the two ways to connect?
WhatsApp Business Platform (official). The right choice for a company number and for volume. You connect a number from your own WhatsApp Business account with Meta. It's fully supported by WhatsApp, and it follows WhatsApp's business rules:
- you can reply freely within 24 hours of the contact's last message;
- outside that window, and for the first message to someone new, you must use a message template that WhatsApp has approved. Templates are created in WhatsApp's own manager, then pulled into Appricity with Sync from Meta.
Personal WhatsApp (linked device). Link an existing phone by scanning a QR code, the same way WhatsApp Web works. It takes a minute and needs no templates, but it is unofficial:
- it's against WhatsApp's terms of service;
- WhatsApp may log the number out or permanently ban it, and a ban can't be undone;
- the agent reads every message on that number.
You must read and accept these risks before linking. Appricity paces a linked number to look like a person: a pause of at least twenty seconds between messages, a typing indicator, and a daily limit on new conversations (20 a day for the first week, then 60 by default, adjustable up to 500). Replies to people already talking to you are never capped.
Which should I choose?
| Business Platform | Linked device | |
|---|---|---|
| Set-up | Longer, done in Meta's tools | About a minute |
| Allowed by WhatsApp | Yes | No |
| First message to a new lead | Approved template | Any text |
| Volume | High | Paced and capped |
| Ban risk | Normal business rules | Permanent ban possible |
Use the Business Platform for anything customer-facing at scale. A linked device suits a quick trial or a low-volume personal line, if you accept the risk.
What can the agent do on WhatsApp?
- Answer incoming messages from your knowledge, with discovery, booking and hand-over.
- Follow up new leads through a playbook. A Business number needs an approved template for the first message.
- Send booking confirmations and reminders for meetings it books.
What can't it do yet?
Conversations are one-to-one; group chats aren't answered. On a linked device, images and other media arrive as a short placeholder such as [image], and agents reply in text only.
How do I check it's working?
Each number's page has Send a test, showing delivery and read ticks live, and for a Business number, whether WhatsApp's events are reaching Appricity. A linked number shows how many new conversations it has started today against its limit.
Does consent matter?
Yes. By default agents need recorded consent before they start a WhatsApp conversation with someone, and opt-outs apply on every channel. You can change both in Governance.